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Chapter 10: Sample Operations

"Every job's a learning experience. Try not to learn about prison food."

Ready-to-run scenarios showcasing Syndicate gameplay.

📖 Replaces STA Core Rulebook, Chapter 10: Introductory Adventure

"The Tarsus Heist"

Steal medical supplies from a corrupt administrator

Background and Setup

  • Colony administrator hoarding medical supplies during shortage
  • Dying patients and desperate families seeking help
  • Black market prices and profiteering corruption
  • Moral justification for theft vs. legal consequences

Setting: Tarsus IV colony medical facility Timeline: 72-hour window during security system upgrade Stakes: Lives of patients vs. crew criminal exposure Complexity: Multi-phase operation with moral dilemmas

Phase 1: Intelligence Gathering

  • Facility layout and security system analysis
  • Administrator schedule and behavior pattern assessment
  • Supply inventory and storage location identification
  • Security personnel routine and weakness evaluation

Objectives: Complete facility intelligence and vulnerability assessment Methods: Social infiltration, electronic surveillance, physical reconnaissance Complications: Suspicious security, time pressure, ethical information sources Skills: Investigation, Science, Command, Engineering

Phase 2: Approach Selection

  • Direct infiltration vs. social engineering options
  • Inside job recruitment vs. external operation planning
  • Nonviolent vs. forceful approach considerations
  • Evidence elimination and suspicion avoidance strategies

Options: Multiple approach vectors with different risk profiles Considerations: Crew skills, available resources, moral boundaries Planning: Resource allocation and role assignment decisions Contingencies: Backup plans and failure response protocols

Phase 3: Execution

  • Security bypass and facility access achievement
  • Supply location and acquisition completion
  • Evidence elimination and trail cleanup
  • Extraction and escape route utilization

Challenges: Security systems, unexpected personnel, time constraints Skills: Engineering, Security, Medicine, Conn Complications: Moral choices, civilian safety, law enforcement response Success: Supply acquisition with minimal exposure and harm

Phase 4: Resolution and Consequences

  • Supply distribution and patient treatment coordination
  • Investigation response and heat level assessment
  • Relationship impact and reputation changes
  • Long-term consequence consideration and planning

Outcomes: Patient recovery, administrator investigation, crew exposure levels Consequences: Legal pursuit, moral satisfaction, reputation effects Follow-up: Ongoing investigation, relationship changes, future opportunities Lessons: Experience gain, network expansion, tactical knowledge

"Ghost Protocol"

Infiltrate a Section 31 facility for information

Mission Background

  • Section 31 operation targeting innocent civilians
  • Whistleblower contact seeking evidence exposure
  • Government conspiracy and cover-up implications
  • Deniable asset recruitment and manipulation risks

Setting: Classified Section 31 research facility Objective: Acquire evidence of illegal experimentation program Client: Former Section 31 operative seeking redemption Risks: Government retaliation, permanent enemy creation, moral complexity

Phase 1: Contact and Briefing

  • Whistleblower credibility assessment and motivation evaluation
  • Mission parameter negotiation and payment discussion
  • Risk assessment and crew capability matching
  • Ethical consideration and moral boundary establishment

Information: Facility details, security protocols, target location Motivation: Client background, personal stakes, reliability assessment Compensation: Payment method, risk premium, success conditions Ethics: Mission morality, civilian protection, whistleblower safety

Phase 2: Preparation and Planning

  • Facility reconnaissance and security analysis
  • Cover identity creation and documentation preparation
  • Equipment acquisition and specialized tool procurement
  • Extraction planning and emergency protocol establishment

Intelligence: Building layout, personnel schedules, security measures Identity: Cover stories, documentation, background verification Equipment: Infiltration tools, recording devices, extraction gear Contingency: Emergency extraction, communication protocols, abort conditions

Phase 3: Infiltration and Intelligence Gathering

  • Facility access and security circumvention
  • Target information location and acquisition
  • Evidence collection and verification completion
  • Operational security and detection avoidance

Access: Physical infiltration, social engineering, technical bypass Search: Information location, data extraction, evidence verification Security: Detection avoidance, counter-surveillance, operational discipline Extraction: Data acquisition, evidence preservation, trail elimination

Phase 4: Exposure and Aftermath

  • Evidence evaluation and verification process
  • Publication method and media contact selection
  • Protection planning and retaliation preparation
  • Moral satisfaction vs. practical consequences assessment

Evidence: Data analysis, verification, impact assessment Publication: Media selection, timing, presentation method Protection: Crew safety, client security, witness protection Consequences: Government response, public reaction, personal costs

"Family Business"

Navigate Orion Syndicate politics and betrayal

Syndicate Setting

  • Crime family succession crisis and power vacuum
  • Rival faction maneuvering and alliance shifting
  • Traditional values vs. modern methods conflict
  • Personal loyalty vs. business pragmatism tensions

Family: Traditional Orion crime organization structure Crisis: Leadership transition and succession disputes Politics: Internal factions, external pressures, historical grudges Stakes: Family survival, personal loyalty, business continuity

Act 1: Recruitment and Positioning

  • Family contact and mission briefing
  • Faction assessment and alliance evaluation
  • Personal relationship establishment and trust building
  • Initial task completion and competency demonstration

Contact: Family representative, relationship establishment, mission parameters Assessment: Faction strength, leader capabilities, external threats Relationships: Personal connections, loyalty expectations, trust development Tasks: Skill demonstration, loyalty testing, position establishment

Act 2: Escalation and Complications

  • Rival faction moves and counter-operation requirements
  • Personal relationship strain and loyalty conflicts
  • External threat emergence and response coordination
  • Betrayal discovery and response decision points

Escalation: Conflict intensification, stakes raising, pressure increase Loyalty: Personal vs. professional conflicts, relationship strain Threats: External enemies, law enforcement, business complications Betrayal: Discovery, response options, relationship reevaluation

Act 3: Resolution and Consequences

  • Final confrontation and loyalty demonstration
  • Power structure resolution and new order establishment
  • Personal relationship aftermath and trust evaluation
  • Long-term consequence assessment and future planning

Confrontation: Final test, loyalty demonstration, capability proof Resolution: New leadership, power distribution, stability achievement Relationships: Trust evaluation, future cooperation, personal bonds Future: Ongoing obligations, reputation effects, business opportunities

Operation Frameworks

Templates for creating your own jobs

Heist Framework Template

  1. Target Assessment: Value, difficulty, moral justification
  2. Intelligence Gathering: Security, personnel, environmental factors
  3. Planning Phase: Approach selection, resource allocation, role assignment
  4. Preparation: Equipment, training, positioning, contingency planning
  5. Execution: Infiltration, acquisition, complications, adaptation
  6. Extraction: Escape, evidence elimination, heat management
  7. Resolution: Success evaluation, consequence management, future implications

Infiltration Framework Template

  1. Objective Definition: Information targets, access requirements, success metrics
  2. Cover Development: Identity creation, background establishment, relationship building
  3. Access Acquisition: Entry method, credential obtainment, position establishment
  4. Intelligence Operations: Information gathering, verification, security management
  5. Objective Completion: Target achievement, evidence collection, mission success
  6. Extraction Planning: Exit strategy, cover maintenance, trail elimination
  7. Aftermath Management: Information utilization, relationship consequences, follow-up

Negotiation Framework Template

  1. Stakeholder Analysis: Party identification, interest assessment, power evaluation
  2. Preparation: Research, strategy development, BATNA establishment
  3. Opening: Relationship establishment, position presentation, atmosphere setting
  4. Exploration: Information gathering, option generation, creative solutions
  5. Bargaining: Offer exchange, compromise development, value creation
  6. Agreement: Term finalization, implementation planning, verification methods
  7. Follow-through: Agreement execution, relationship maintenance, future cooperation

Scaling Difficulty

Adjusting scenarios for different crew levels

Novice Crew Adaptations

  • Simplified security systems and reduced complexity
  • Helpful contacts and guidance provision
  • Clear moral choices and obvious solutions
  • Forgiving consequences and learning opportunities

Complexity: Reduced variable count and decision point simplification Support: Mentor figures, helpful contacts, guidance provision Morality: Clear right/wrong distinctions and obvious choices Consequences: Educational rather than punitive, growth-focused

Experienced Crew Challenges

  • Complex security and multiple contingency requirements
  • Ambiguous moral choices and competing loyalties
  • Resource limitations and time pressure increases
  • Serious consequences and long-term impact emphasis

Complexity: Multiple variables, interconnected systems, adaptive opposition Morality: Ambiguous choices, competing values, difficult decisions Resources: Limitation emphasis, creative solution requirements Stakes: Serious consequences, long-term impact, permanent changes

Veteran Crew Complications

  • Adaptive opposition and counter-intelligence operations
  • Reputation effects and past consequence integration
  • Political complexity and multi-faction involvement
  • Legacy consideration and endgame planning themes

Opposition: Intelligent, adaptive, learning from crew patterns History: Past action consequences, reputation effects, relationship complexities Politics: Multi-faction involvement, complex alliance webs Legacy: Long-term consequence consideration, endgame planning

Variable Difficulty Factors

  • Security system sophistication and counter-measure effectiveness
  • Opposition competence and resource availability
  • Time pressure and external complication frequency
  • Moral complexity and ethical dilemma severity

Security: Technology level, human competence, counter-measure effectiveness Opposition: Intelligence, resources, motivation, cooperation level Pressure: Time constraints, external complications, cascading failures Ethics: Moral ambiguity, competing values, difficult choice complexity

Connecting Adventures

Building ongoing campaigns

Recurring Character Integration

  • NPC relationship development and storyline continuation
  • Faction standing evolution and consequence tracking
  • Personal enemy creation and ongoing conflict management
  • Ally relationship deepening and mutual obligation development

Characters: Development arcs, relationship evolution, motivation changes Factions: Standing changes, policy evolution, leadership transitions Enemies: Escalating conflicts, revenge cycles, power struggles Allies: Deepening relationships, mutual obligations, trust development

Consequence Threading

  • Previous adventure aftermath and long-term impact integration
  • Heat level progression and law enforcement response evolution
  • Reputation effect accumulation and social standing changes
  • Network development and contact relationship evolution

Aftermath: Previous adventure consequences and ongoing effects Heat: Accumulation patterns, law enforcement response evolution Reputation: Standing changes, social effects, opportunity modifications Networks: Contact development, relationship deepening, obligation creation

World Evolution and Change

  • Political development and power structure shifts
  • Economic change and market evolution
  • Technological advancement and security improvements
  • Social movement and cultural shifts

Politics: Power changes, policy evolution, leadership transitions Economics: Market shifts, opportunity changes, resource availability Technology: Security improvements, tool advancement, capability evolution Society: Cultural changes, attitude shifts, movement development

Campaign Arc Development

  • Overarching storyline and meta-plot progression
  • Character growth and development tracking
  • Thematic exploration and moral development
  • Climactic preparation and resolution planning

Storyline: Meta-plot development, mystery unfolding, revelation pacing Growth: Character development tracking, skill advancement, moral evolution Themes: Deep exploration, value testing, philosophical development Climax: Preparation, buildup, satisfying resolution, legacy establishment

Moral Complexity Tables

Adding ethical dilemmas to any scenario

Innocent Involvement Complications

  1. Civilian Witnesses: Bystanders who must be protected or silenced
  2. Family Connections: Target has innocent relatives affected by actions
  3. Collateral Damage: Operations risk harming uninvolved parties
  4. Moral Exemplars: Truly good people caught in bad situations
  5. Children at Risk: Minors threatened by operation consequences
  6. Medical Needs: Life-threatening conditions requiring immediate attention

Authority Figure Dilemmas

  1. Corrupt but Competent: Effective leaders with moral compromises
  2. Misguided Idealists: Good intentions leading to harmful policies
  3. Blackmailed Officials: Authority figures under external pressure
  4. Reformed Criminals: Former lawbreakers now serving justice
  5. Desperate Measures: Officials making hard choices under pressure
  6. Institutional Loyalty: Good people serving flawed systems

Resource and Priority Conflicts

  1. Triage Decisions: Limited resources requiring hard choices
  2. Competing Claims: Multiple parties with legitimate needs
  3. Temporal Conflicts: Long-term vs. short-term benefit considerations
  4. Scale Dilemmas: Individual vs. community benefit tensions
  5. Prevention Paradoxes: Stopping future harm through present action
  6. Information Asymmetry: Decisions made with incomplete knowledge

Loyalty and Relationship Tensions

  1. Competing Loyalties: Multiple obligations requiring choice
  2. Trust Violations: Betraying confidence for greater good
  3. Family vs. Duty: Personal relationships vs. moral obligations
  4. Friendship Costs: Harming friends for principle adherence
  5. Professional Ethics: Job requirements vs. personal values
  6. Community Standards: Individual conscience vs. group expectations